Born: January 2, 1939 – Apia, Samoa
Died: March 16, 2022 – Wollongong, NSW
Test record: 5 Tests (1967-69) – 1 try (3 points)
Tours: 1967 tour of Australia, 1968 World Cup

A genuine rugby league trailblazer, Samoa-born forward Oscar Danielson played five Tests for New Zealand in the late-1960s before being part of the first wave of Kiwis to feature in the NSWRL premiership.

Danielson represented North Island Māori against France in 1964 – under the loose qualification requirements of the era – and helped the Marist club to Fox Memorial success in 1965-66. He also played for Auckland against NSW Country and Great Britain in 1966, as well as touring Queensland with North Island.

The rugged prop’s Kiwis call-up came in 1967, chosen to tour Australia and playing in the first two Tests – including a try on debut – among eight appearances. A broken thumb brought his on-field contributions to a premature end.

Danielson played for New Zealand Māori against NSW Country in 1968 before lining up in New Zealand’s World Cup loss to France at Carlaw Park. He featured at prop in the drawn two-Test series against Australia at home in 1969.

The 30-year-old was lured to Sydney by Newtown’s coach, the legendary former Balmain, Warrington and St George forward Harry Bath, in 1970 and played 47 games in three seasons for the Bluebags. Danielson and former Test teammate Bill Noonan (Canterbury-Bankstown) paved the way for New Zealanders to make a sizeable impression on the premiership as the decade worn on, despite it essentially signalling the end of a player’s international career.

Danielson later joined Corrimal in the Illawarra competition and captain-coached the club to a grand final win in 1974. He was named in Corrimal’s Legends Team in 2003 and remained in the area until his death in 2022, aged 83.